Plastic bag limits OKed by Illinois House committee

SPRINGFIELD -- An Illinois House committee signed off on legislation Wednesday that would create a statewide standard for recycling plastic bags.

DAVID THOMAS

SPRINGFIELD -- An Illinois House committee signed off on legislation Wednesday that would create a statewide standard for recycling plastic bags.

Senate Bill 3442 would require plastic bag manufacturers to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency by paying a $500 annual fee. After 2014, retailers could use plastic bags only from these registered manufacturers. By 2015, the bags would have to be made of 30 percent recycled materials.

The bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Michael Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, said he found it heartening that industry groups are taking the initiative when it comes to plastic bags.

“That is a good thing,” Tryon said.

Backing the bill are groups like the Illinois Retail Merchants’ Association and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. Their representatives testified that the law would increase recycling of plastic bags and the number of “green” jobs in the state.

Increased recycling

“Plastic bag recycling has increased 24 percent within just the last year. A program like this would drive that number even higher for the state of Illinois,” said Phil Rozenski of Hilex Poly, the largest plastic bag manufacturer and recycler in the U.S.

Critics—who range from environmental groups like the Sierra Club to city governments to plastic bag distributors— say they sympathize with the intent of the bill, but take issue with the details.

Some local governments, like the city of Champaign, oppose a provision that would prevent municipalities from enacting their own regulations. Champaign is considering a ban on all plastic bags.

The business groups said it is better to have a statewide standard rather than have to deal with different regulations in different municipalities.

Jack Darin, director of the Illinois Sierra Club, also took issue with the idea of preempting local regulations.

Not the best

“We’re locking in something that, yes, is better than nothing, but we’re also locking in something that we don’t think is the best that we can do,” he said.

Many lawmakers voted for the bill’s passage in committee with the understanding that Tryon would discuss additional changes. However, Tryon said he is against allowing local governments to enact their own regulations.

At least two Springfield-area retailers voiced support for the legislation. Stu Kainste, manager of Food Fantasies Natural and Organic Food in Jerome, said he is a big supporter of reusable bags.

The store donates five cents to a different charity every month for every customer that shops with reusable bags.

“We break about even with the less bags that we use,” Kainste said.

Mike Noonan III, president of Noonan True Value Hardware, 510 N. Bruns Lane, said the measure would prevent a lot of bags from ending up in the landfill.

“At some point, they get to the stage where they’re not usable anymore, and they have some place to take them other than dumping them in the garbage,” Noonan said. “It just makes more sense.”